04/02/2020
The Truth About Prolonged Sitting
Prolonged Sitting:
Prolonged sitting
Sitting for more than 30 minutes in one position, is one of the most detrimental activities we can do, and yet we spend most of our time doing it. Even with perfect posture, we are still loading our bodies with high levels of sustained physical stress which can cause complications such as muscular aches and pains, joint wear and tear and illnesses related to inactivity such as diabetes and heart disease. When our posture deteriorates, typically our pelvis rotates backwards, putting increased pressure on our lumbar discs. To compensate for this weight shift, our chin comes forward, our upper spine hunches over and our shoulders round. Sustaining this posture for even one hour every day will undoubtedly lead to musculoskeletal problems from excessive loading of joints and from chronic muscle tightness.
We can avoid this modern day disaster with a few simple strategies:
– Even changing your posture in your chair regularly will distribute the weight and pressure around your body, rather than focus it all on one particular point.
– Every 30-60 minutes move around the office, have a coffee break or at least stand up for a few minutes and stretch.
– Think about all the times you could stand instead of sitting. Perhaps while you’re on the phone, or waiting for an email to come through.
Good posture is important, but the more time you spend out of your chair, the better.
